ZAPOPAN NL has sought and received a Commonwealth Government commitment to facilitate its proposed Mount Todd Gold Mine in the Northern Territory, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr Laurie Brereton announced today.

The Commonwealth facilitation arrangements, administered by Mr Brereton on behalf of the Prime Minister, were announced in the February "One Nation" Statement. They aim to guide proponents of projects valued at over $50m through the râ‘ ange of Commonwealth Departments and Agencies which may be

involved.

Mr Brereton was speaking after the official designation of Zapopan by the Minister Assisting the Treasurer. Designation automatically triggers Commonwealth Responsibility for formal Environment Assessment under the Environment Protection

(Impact of Proposals) Act 1974.

In accordance with the Inter-Governmental Agreement on the Environment and the Commonwealth's Facilitation Arrangements guidelines for the Environmental Impact Statement will be jointly prepared by the Federal Environment Protection Agency

(EPA) and the Conservation Commission of the Northern

Territory (CCNT), which has prime responsibility. This will ensure that the environmental approval process satisfies both Commonwealth and Territory requirements.

Environmental and all other Commonwealth approvals have been and will continue to be coordinated by the Major Projects Facilitation Unit, administered by Mr Brereton. It will follow the same process as that adopted for MIM's McArthur River mine in the Northern Territory. McArthur River received final environmental approval on August 14, just five and a half months after the company first approached the Federal Government seeking facilitation.

" MIM' s McArthur River was the test case, and Zapopan is

following the same prompt yet comprehensive path" Mr Brereton said, when referring to the facilitation process.

" It is proof positive that the Federal Government, with the full cooperation of the States and Territories, is creating an efficient approvals regime that does not seek to bypass due process" Mr Brereton said.

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" Zapopan'a Mount Todd mine is the sort of project this country needs to help boost both confidence and export earnings. The Federal Government will be doing all we can to ensure that Government processes do not hold back its

contribution to the recovery." " The Government will also contribute in an economic sense, as like McArthur River, we envisage that the Mount Todd Project will directly benefit from the One Nation Development Allowance" Mr Brereton went on to say.

The Mount Todd Deposit has estimated resource of 3 million ounces of gold. Zapopan estimate that s.t full production, using proven technology, it will produce 80,000 to 150,000 ounces of gold per year and generate $40 - $80 million in revenue. The company is looking to make a decision on whether to proceed in January when all government approval processes

should be completed.

25 August 1992. (3pm EST)

Footnote - MIM and its 4 Js.panese Partners, Nippon Mining, Mitsubishi Materials, Mitsui and Marubeni today obtained foreign investment approval from the Treasurer, on the recommendation of the Foreign Investment Review Bos.rd, for the McArthur River Mine.(see attached press release)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT CAMERON O'REILLY IN MR

BRERETON'S ELECTORATE OFFICE ON (02) 349-6777.

END.

MT TODD PROJECT

Zapopan N.L. has today announced that, 1ollowing discussions with the Federal

Government, the Company has recelvod Commonwealth facilitation for Its